ON THE rRUCTIFlCATION OF. THE FIRS. 2^^ - 



What I have said, particularly on the par?illel strQtifi(;a-'Of the same 

 tioa of the gvpsum and micaceous schist, as well as on the l^^^}^^ (^^ % 

 presence of the talcy orsteatitic matter ip thei^e two mine- rocks. 

 ral masses, evidently shows, that they.:are of the same for* : 

 mation, that is, formed at the same period. The nearly ho- 

 rizontal position of the strata from tlie foot of the mountain. ' 

 to its summit; the identity of the rock, that forqas the roof , 

 and the wall of the strata of gypsum, &c. ; all militate against ^. 

 the idea of a transposition, that might have covered a second- a 

 ary gypsum, deposited on .the mountain subsequent to it^. 

 formation, with a block of schist. Here the gypsum is really 

 a component part of the mountain ; it is one of the courses, 

 that form the building; and it has ever been placed before ' 

 several others, those that are at the summit. Now the moun- . 

 tain of Cogne itself makes part of that portion of the Alps, 

 GrandiAlpi of the Italians, which extends from Mount Blanc . 

 to Mount Rose: and it is of the same nature, as we may be 

 satisfied by reading what Saussure has said of that countrji;^ 

 in his journey to Mount Cervin. Thus we have a gypsum -s^ j , '.-.t 

 of the same formation with those lofty mountains, which ^ s .mir,^ns>r. 

 have always been considered as primitive, or anterior to the 

 existence of organized beings, and which every thing still in- 

 dicates to be so. 



IX. 



Farther Observations on the Fructification of the Firs» In «i 

 Letter from Mrs, Agnes Ibbetson. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 

 SIR, 



.y endeavour to contract my subject has made me leave 

 out much respecting the firs, 1 think of high consequence ^^^ of the 

 to them : I shall therefore add this short letter respecting 

 the cones, that I may not be misunderstood. 



I have said that the seed of the fir is not impregnated the 

 first year, and this is certainly true with respect to the pin«, "°je*^j^7Ir5t 

 and all those yfr«, the male flower or catkiD of which so much year. 

 >j,,,:j,r}'hr-.'- ■■'^^'- ^precedes 



